Displaying items by tag: US

US: Legislation removing the ‘waste’ classification of steel slag in Pennsylvania has received final approval in Pennsylvania. The bill will now been sent to the state governor for enactment, according to the New Castle News newspaper. Previously, mills and slag processors had to obtain special classification from the state Department of Environmental Protection to sell the product.

US: The Slag Cement Association (SCA) says that slag cement shipments in 2017 grew by 14 year-on-year. This follows a growth of 12% to 2.7Mt in 2016. The SCA says this shows increasing demand for slag cement in the US.

“As consumers are becoming more aware of the variety of benefits and applications associated with slag cement use in construction, they also start to rely on its consistency,” said Ed Griffith, president of the SCA. “The reliability of the product seems to go over well with the industry, it’s nice to see the shipping trends reflect this industry awareness.”

US: Residents in Anaconda, Montana have put questions to a proposed copper slag processing plant project as part of a community outreach initiative. Premier Industries wants to build a plant to use copper slag left over from the local copper industry to produce proppant, a material used in oil fracking and natural gas extraction, according to the Montana Standard newspaper. The project, first announced in early 2016, is scheduled to start operation by the end of the first quarter of 2018. Questions from the local community covered jobs, the financial viability of the project and increased traffic.

US/Canada: TMS International’s sites in the US and Canada have received 44 safety awards from the National Slag Association (NSA) for 2016. The NSA Safety Awards recognise performance as measured against Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable injury rates. The awards were presented to the company during the NSA’s annual meeting held in Hollywood, Florida.

“TMS is honoured to receive these important awards and it is a testament to the quality management within this organisation,” said Raymond Kalouche, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of TMS International.

Notably, the company’s operation in Jewett, Texas received the award for ‘2016 Most Improved Job Sites for Safety.’ Sites at Middletown in Ohio, Glassport/Horsham in Pennsylvania, PA; Freeport in Texas, Jewett and Texas and Petersburg in Virginia received safety awards for ‘Job Sites that have Exceeded 200,000 Hours Since Last Recordable Incident.’

In addition, Chad Wolfenbarger of TMS’ Portage, Indiana operation was recognised for winning the 2018 safety slogan contest with ‘Working Safely Today For Family Tomorrow.’ Sergio Mendoza of TMS’ Puebla, Mexico operation was recognised for a Best Practice award for the team’s effort in developing a slag market at the newly established site with a steel company in Sahagun, Mexico.

US: Orcem Americas, a subsidiary of Ireland’s Ecocem, has been refused planning permission to build a slag cement plant in Vallejo, California. The cement producer was hoping to build a US$50m grinding plant but it faced opposition from local residents on environmental grounds, according to the Irish Times. The issues for the planners was an anticipated increase in the number of trucks on local roads and pollution from the plant. Orcem Americas can now appeal the decision to Vallejo’s City Council if it chooses.

US: Harsco’s sales revenue has fallen by 16% year-on-year to US$1.45bn in 2016 from US$1.72bn in 2015. Its adjusted operational income, excluding unusual items, fell by 14% to US$116m from US$135m. The steel services company blamed the falling sales on lower revenues from its Metals & Minerals and Industrial divisions despite a pick up in income in its fourth quarter.

“2016 proved to be a turning point for Harsco. We exceeded the key financial targets established at the beginning of the year, despite persistent end-market weakness,” said president and chief executive officer Nick Grasberger.

US: Slag cement shipments have grown by 12% in 2016 from 2015, according to the Slag Cement Association (SCA). It attributed the rise to the growing US economy and increased awareness of the benefits of the product in design, specification and construction communities

The SCA will also present the Slag Cement Project of the Year Awards at the American Concrete Institute’s Convention on 28 March 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. The awards will recognise eight projects from across the US in the categories of architectural design, concrete durability, green design, high performance, innovative applications, and sustainability. Award winners include a wide variety of projects including airports, buildings, residences, highways and stadiums.

US: A site where Orcem California plans to build a US$50m slag grinding plant has been added to the Vallejo heritage list potentially adding planning complications to the project. Dina Tasini, the north Californian city’s planning manager, said that any possible future plans for the site must first receive a certificate of appropriateness, according to the Vallejo Times-Herald.

Orcem California, a subsidiary of Ecocem, is proposing to build and operate a slag grinding plant on the former General Mills flour mill site near to the Vallejo Marine Terminal. However, the project faces opposition from local environmental groups.

US: Essroc Italcementi Group has signed an agreement with Holcim to purchase its slag cement grinding facility in Camden, New Jeresy. As part of the transaction, Essroc will also obtain Holcim's cement terminal in Everett, Massachusetts. The acquisition will finalise when the pending Holcim and Lafarge merger completes later in 2015.

"The acquisition of the Camden slag grinding facility reiterates Essroc's commitment to the northeast market," said Francesco Carantani, Essroc's president and chief executive officer. "With the focus on sustainability and durability, there is a projected growth in the demand and usage of slag cement."

The Camden facility can produce upwards of 700,000t/yr of slag cement. Essroc currently produces slag cement at its Picton, Ontario, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, cement plants and at its slag grinding facility in Middlebranch, Ohio. With the addition of Camden, Essroc has a combined annual production capacity in excess of 1Mt/yr. Holcim's staff in Camden and Everett will join Essroc once the transaction completes.